Retail Theft and the Holidays

 Posted on December 08, 2017 in Theft

Christmas is less than two weeks away, and most of us are now finishing up on our holiday shopping. Unfortunately, beginning around Black Friday and ending near Christmas Eve, far too many instances of retail theft occur. Being accused of shoplifting, price-switching, or other forms of retail theft can come with very serious consequences.

How Many People Shop During the Holiday Season?

Over 174 million Americans shop in-store and online from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. On Black Friday, around 77 million consumers shop for the holidays, and 55 million consumers go holiday shopping on Small Business Saturday. On average, Americans will spend around $967 for holiday gifts. Overall, holiday sales will equate to around $682 billion this holiday season.

What is Porch Piracy?

Since people often place orders for their holiday gifts online, anything can happen, including thieves following delivery trucks to a recipient’s house and stealing the packages from their porches. Nearly 50 percent more items have been stolen by porch piracy since 2016, and this process has become a massive issue for online shoppers. To combat this growing problem, developers have created an app that will hold the recipient’s packages in a warehouse and will deliver the packages when the recipient is at home.

Consequences of Retail Theft

An individual who steals products worth no more than $300 will be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. For the second or subsequent offense, he or she will face a Class 4 felony. Theft by emergency exit occurs when a person commits retail theft and leaves the premises by using a designated emergency exit, and the retail value does not exceed $300. This type of theft counts as a Class 4 felony.

An individual will be charged with a Class 4 felony if he or she steals retail property, which the value is less than $300, and has previously been convicted of robbery, burglary, or any other type of theft. If he or she commits theft by emergency exit and has been convicted of any type of theft, then that person will be charged with a Class 3 felony.

Contact a Wheaton Retail Theft Defense Attorney

Being charged with retail theft is serious, and can put a damper on your holiday celebrations, your future employment opportunities, and overall quality of life. If you have been charged with shoplifting, contact the attorneys at Davi Law Group, LLC to provide effective legal representation. For a free initial consultation, please call a DuPage County retail theft defense lawyer at 630-580-6373 to discuss your case.

Sources:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=072000050K16-25

https://nrf.com/resources/consumer-research-and-data/holiday-spending/holiday-headquarters

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/porch-pirates-package-theft-online-orders-increase/

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=072000050K16-25